Since the design of the O2 may not be finalized, I'd like to toss this
one out to the list to see what people think.
I've used RS-232 based equipment since 1967. The speed has gone up over
the years, but the main problems still remain. It's slow, it's dedicated
to one device and it's becoming hard to find.
The last PC I bought only had one RS-232 port and many of the new ones
have none. There have been no Macintosh computers with RS-232 ports
(although many had phone line modems) since 2000.
Using a USB to RS-232 convertor is possible, but it adds expense,
and another device that may emit unwated RF or be susceptible to it.
As I see it, there are three posibilities for an new interface:
1. USB. Pretty standard, almost anything made in the last 5 years
has one. Simple to implement.
2. FireWire. (IEE-1394). Similar to USB, much faster, IMHO overkill.
3. Ethernet. To me this is the best, but that's because I have all my
(and my family's) computers networked. The idea of being able
to connect to the radio from anywhere (after going through an
apropriate fire wall) is very attractive to me.
As I see it ethernet is a little to advanced for most people, so I
think a USB interface would be just right. Then someone could write
a simple program that runs via a command line to tune the radio.
With a combination of it and some VoIP like Skype, you could have
a really nice remote base.
Who knows, it might even spur someone to take apart a USB to RS-232 converter
and make a USB interface to replace the one (I think it's for the Paragon)
that people keep asking for.
Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (077)-424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
VoN Skype: mendelsonfamily. Looking for work as a CTO or consultant in
handheld gaming, large systems development, handheld device construction, etc.
Support amateur (ham) radio, boycott Google!!!
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